Strong and True

The Locker Room Speech (1988 vs. Miami)

In the moments before the opening kickoff of the 1988 game against Miami, a brief scuffle broke out in the tunnel. Upon returning to the locker room, head coach Lou Holtz gave his players a stern talk about handling themselves with class and respect for Notre Dame. Holtz’s speech was cut short when he uttered a now-famous line about his coaching counterpart, Jimmy Johnson. In this video, Holtz, along with players Scott Kowalkowski (’91), Tony Rice (’90), Steve Belles (’89) and Pat Terrell (’90) talk about the pre-game scene and the speech that helped spark the Irish to an historic victory.